2022 has been a year of significant development and innovation for the unmanned industry. There have been many announcements covering product releases and milestone achievements specifically for drones, robotic systems and autonomous vehicles and vessels.

Here’s a round-up of the ten most read articles of the year on UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com focusing not only the platforms themselves, but also the technology used on those systems, and applications within defense, commercial and industrial sectors.
1. Raspberry Pi-Based Flight Controller & OS for ROVs and Robotics
Blue Robotics launched the new Navigator Flight Controller and BlueOS operating system software, designed for ROV (remotely operated vehicles) and robotics applications and compatible with Raspberry Pi 4.
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2. ArduPilot-Based Miniature Open Source Drone Platform Unveiled
CubePilot unveiled the Ardubee, a miniature multipurpose drone platform compatible with the CubePilot Ecosystem and incorporating the same H7 MCU flight controller as the Cube autopilot.
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3. Autonomous MALE UAV Prototype Completed
UAVOS completed the prototype of its S1-V300 MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAS. The advanced aircraft is based on UAVOS’ Saker design and features a number of upgrades including a more powerful 260hp heavy fuel engine, increased speed, a 28-hour mission endurance, and a range of over 4000 km.
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4. New Drone Remote ID Module with Wi-Fi & BLE
Aerobits launched the idME Pro. The new Remote ID module provides enhanced identification and tracking, with a low SWaP (size, weight and power) footprint that allows it to be integrated into small drone platforms.
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5. EMCORE Acquires the KVH FOG & Inertial Navigation Systems Business
EMCORE Corporation, a leading provider of advanced mixed-signal products that serve the aerospace and defense, communications, and sensing markets, announced the acquisition of the Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) and Inertial Navigation Systems business segment of KVH Industries, Inc.
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6. New LiDAR Solution Delivers Survey-Grade Data from UAV Platforms
Teledyne Geospatial released the Optech CLS-A, a survey-grade UAV LiDAR and camera system. The Optech CLS-A integrates the CL-360XR LiDAR scanner with 0.3-mrad beam divergence, 360-deg field of view, and survey-grade precision and accuracy, enabling high quality surveying and inspection applications.
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7. HII Unveils New Medium-Class Multi-Mission UUV
HII’s Mission Technologies division introduced the REMUS 620, a new medium-class unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) designed to support current and next-generation naval and special operations forces operations.
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8. Tethered Drone Kit Enables Unlimited Flight Time for DJI M30 Series
Volarious launched its flagship V-Line Pro tethered kit. With a patented reel system, V-Line Pro enables users to fly their M30 at 5m/s ascend speed without worrying about cutting the tether or experiencing high tension. Featuring a lightweight aviation grade cable, users are able to fly indefinitely up to 100 meters high.
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9. 6 Hour Endurance Electric VTOL UAV for Mapping, Survey & Surveillance
FlyDragon Drone Tech released the FDG30 Mako Shark a high-performance VTOL fixed-wing UAS with a payload capacity of 1.5 kgs and a flight endurance of up to 6 hours. The versatile, fully electric platform has been specially designed for aerial surveying and surveillance applications.
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10. IMSI & Wi-Fi Catcher Surveillance Devices for Drones
Revector partnered with UST to highlight how the company’s field-proven IMSI number and Wi-Fi tracking technology, when integrated into lightweight payloads for UAVs and drones, supports a wide range of critical missions in challenging environments and hard-to-reach areas.
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